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 Many people have a similar experience when they
read the writings of the late Archbishop or listen to his talks on tape
or CD or video. That experience is that they feel he is speaking about
the situation at the present moment despite the fact that on December
9th, 2004, the Archbishop will have been dead 25 years. There is a
quality of a timeless present moment in his words. I like to believe it
is because his thoughts were inspired during his daily Holy Hour before
our Eucharistic Lord Jesus, Who is the same yesterday, today, and
forever!
However, there are many people who feel he also had a special
prophetic gift by which he expressed things that would happen in the
future, and did later happen! One of the most interesting of his
seemingly “prophetic statements” was made in 1951. After
attending a special “Peace Congress” in Lisbon, Portugal,
Archbishop Sheen (then Bishop) returned to America and wrote a report in
which he made an amazing prophecy. This prophecy was reported in an
article by John M. Haffert in the November-December 1980 issue of
Soul Magazine. This was the Archbishop’s amazing
prophecy:
“On October 13, 1917, when Our Lady was appearing
at Fatima, Communism was just beginning to gnaw into the vitals of the
world. In another 34 years (1985) ... will disappear a Red dictator
reviewing his troops in Red Square. What will survive will be Our Lady
of the Kremlin reviewing in the White Square below Her
troops...”
 There are some amazing things about the
Archbishop’s statement. First, he was writing in 1951, which was
exactly 34 years after the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima in 1917. He
goes on to say that “in another 34 years” a great change
will happen in the leadership of the Soviet Union. Thirty-four years
after 1951 is the year 1985. Pope John Paul II, in union with all the
bishops throughout the world, consecrated the world and Russia to the
Immaculate Heart of Mary on March 25th, 1984. Sr. Lucia, the final
remaining visionary of Fatima, said “Heaven accepted” the
consecration. By the end of 1984, there was a dramatic change in the
leadership in Russia. Mihail Gorbachov came to power and the ice of the
Cold War that had existed between the West and the Communist countries
began to melt. Within five years, the terrible Berlin Wall came down
without a world conflict. It was the beginning of Our Lady’s
promise that Russia would be converted once it was consecrated to her
Immaculate Heart.
The article in Soul Magazine went on to say,
“Just three months before that October 13, Fr.
Harold Colgan, founder of the Blue Army, had flown to Fatima with the
signatures of almost a quarter of a million new Blue Army members. And
that same October 13, encouraged by the Bishop of Fatima, the Blue Army
had taken a decision to purchase land near the Basilica of Fatima for a
world headquarters to lead the nations to fulfillment of the conditions
given at Fatima by Our Lady for the conversion of Russia. In addition to
all this, Archbishop Sheen had learned, only three days before, that the
Pilgrim Virgin statue of Our Lady of Fatima was now in a chapel in
Moscow, within sight of the Kremlin.”
What is so important with regard to Archbishop Fulton J.
Sheen’s prophecy is the last statement that the Pilgrim Virgin
statue of Our Lady of Fatima was now in Moscow near the Kremlin. The
reason this is important goes back to another prophecy of a great saint
of the 20th century, St. Maximilian Kolbe. This great devotee of The
Immaculata had prophesied, “One day the statue of Our Lady will be
in Moscow...and it will be the sign of a new day in Russia.”
Archbishop Sheen’s prophetic statement actually indicated when St.
Maximillian Kolbe’s prophecy would be fulfilled! So we can
sincerely ask the question: “Did Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen have
the gift of prophecy?”
p.s. This fascinating thread of prophecy will be continued in our
next feature!!! Don’t miss it!
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